Helping a friend - be careful!

"A man who lost an eye when part of his conservatory fell on him won
compensation today from the neighbour who was helping him put it up.
Raymond James will receive £44,525.32 from uninsured labourer Alan
Butler, who will have to sell his home in order to pay after today's
Appeal Court ruling."
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/18711164?source=Evening%20Standard

Interesting. The whole article, though, seems to suggest that the risk
isn't when you're "helping a friend": it's when you're being paid to
by to do a job.
(£300 pounds to "help" put up a conservatory?)

Sheesh.
No doubt the outcome would have been identical has it been the homeowner
who'd lost his eye as a result of actions deemed to be those of the
labourer?
Also I doubt the fact that money had changed hands made any difference
either?
I'm quite interested in this since on occasions I personally fall into
the above roles of "homeowner" and "labourer" - I've always assumed the
personal liability clause of my home insurance would cover me if I got
sued under these circumstances - isn't that right?
David

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